Last August 1, 2011, Blue Shield of California offered a $20 per month premium discount for ‘new-to-Medicare’ Supplement enrollees. This discount applies to anyone who is new to Medicare (just enrolled in Part B). Generally this applies to those turning 65 although certain ‘late enrollees’ can qualify who are over age 65.

The discount is good for one year for eligible applicants and will run until this year. BS of California even decided not to increase rates for Medigap Insurance plans. This represents a great value to those who’d want to supplement their Medicare with a Medigap plan. To further lower your out-of-pocket expenses on health care, compare prices from several insurers.

Even though coverage is standardized for Medigap Insurance plans, rates may vary. Expect that there will be insurance companies that will arbitrarily charge different rates for identical coverage. Unless you compare prices from different insurance companies, you won’t know that one company is charging a lot more than another for the exact same Medigap Plan.

While there may be some things you cannot do anything about, you can make it a point to compare Medicare Supplemental Plans to effectively reduce your Medigap premiums. We’ve made it quick and easy to compare your choices with instant quotes on our site, but we’ll also assign one of our Medicare Supplement experts to help you match your needs to the available plans. Because our Personal Advisors are not linked to the insurance company selling the policy, we can be objective and give you an independent opinion.

Wiley Long is founder and president of Medigap Advisors, and is passionate about helping people navigate the confusing waters of Medicare. He is the author of The Medicare Playbook: Designing Your Successful Health Coverage Strategy, a clear and simple explanation so you can make the most of your Medicare coverage. For more information visit www.MediGapAdvisors.com.